Fuel exhaustion Accident Piper PA-24 N5152P, Wednesday 24 June 2015

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Date:	Wednesday 24 June 2015
Time:	19:00 LT
Type:	Piper PA-24
Owner/operator:	Celebrations Aviation LLC
Registration:	N5152P
MSN:	24-168
Year of manufacture:	1958
Total airframe hrs:	5288 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming O-360-A1A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Charles City, Iowa - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	BATTLE LAKE, MN (00MN)
Destination airport:	Oelwein Municipal Airport, IA (KOLZ)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The pilot reported that during a cross-country flight, "the airplane had a complete loss of engine power", and that he made several attempts to restart the engine that were unsuccessful. The pilot made a forced landing in a field where the airplane came to rest after impacting terrain. A post-accident inspection by Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspectors revealed that the airplane did not have any usable fuel remaining in its tanks at the time of impact, and that the fuel tanks were undamaged. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, and fuselage.

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate pre-flight fuel planning resulting in fuel exhaustion and a collision with terrain.

Accident investigation: